Title: Use and effect of declarative information in user instructions.
Series Title: Utrecht Studies in Language and Communication Vol. 18
Publication Year: 2004
Publisher: Rodopi
http://www.rodopi.nl/
Author: Joyce Karreman
Paperback: ISBN: 9042018410, Pages: viii, 199 pp., Price: U.S. $ 53.-
Abstract:
Apart from the procedural information that describes how a device
should be operated, instructions for use include different types of
declarative information, such as information about the internal
working of the device (system information) and information about the
circumstances in which the different functions can be used
(utilization information).
In this study, the use and the effects of system and utilization
information are investigated in a number of experiments. The results
demonstrate that users spend a considerable amount of time on reading
each information type. However, contrary to common belief, system
information has only limited effects; utilization information does not
affect task performance at all. Moreover, users of instructions
without declarative information are more confident in their ability to
learn to work with the device and consider the learning process less
difficult than users of instructions with declarative information.
These results suggest that users of instructions without system and
utilization information are capable to use other information sources
such as the procedural information and the interface of the device to
derive the required declarative knowledge.
Contents:
Introduction
1 Using instructive texts: Literature review
2 The use of different types of declarative information and their
effect on task performances
3 The effects of declarative information on task performance,
cognitive load, confidence and the appreciation of instructions and
devices
4 The effects of system information on the transfer of knowledge
5 Conclusions and discussion
References
Lingfield(s): Applied Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Subject Language(s): English (Language code: ENG)
Written In: English (Language Code: ENG)
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